Editing Duchy of Anhalt (section)

===19th century duchies===
In 1806, [[Napoleon I of France|Napoleon]] elevated the remaining states of Anhalt-Bernburg, Anhalt-Dessau and Anhalt-Köthen to duchies (Anhalt-Plötzkau and Anhalt-Zerbst had ceased to exist in the meantime).{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|pp=45–46}} These duchies were united in 1863 to form a united Anhalt again due to the extinction of the Köthen and Bernburg lines. The new duchy consisted of two large portions&nbsp;– Eastern and Western Anhalt, separated by the interposition of a part of the Prussian [[Province of Saxony]]&nbsp;– and of five enclaves surrounded by [[Prussia]]n territory: [[Alsleben]], [[Muhlingen]], [[Dornburg]], [[Gödnitz]] and [[Abberode|Tilkerode-Abberode]]. The eastern and larger portion of the duchy was enclosed by the Prussian government district of [[Potsdam]] (in the Prussian [[Province of Brandenburg]]), [[Province of Magdeburg]] and [[Merseburg]] (belonging to the Prussian Province of Saxony). The western or smaller portion (the so-called Upper Duchy or [[Ballenstedt]]) was also enclosed by the two latter districts and by the [[Duchy of Brunswick]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=46}}

The capital of Anhalt (at the times when it was a united state) was [[Dessau]].{{citation needed|date=April 2017}}

In 1918, Anhalt became a state within the [[Weimar Republic]] (see [[Free State of Anhalt]]). After [[World War II]] it was united with the Prussian parts of Saxony in order to form the new state of [[Saxony-Anhalt]]. Having been dissolved in 1952, the state was reestablished prior to the [[German reunification]] and is now part of the [[States of Germany|Bundesland]] Saxony-Anhalt in [[Germany]].{{citation needed|date=April 2017}}

====Constitution====
The duchy, by virtue of a fundamental law, proclaimed on September 17, 1859 and subsequently modified by various [[decree]]s, was a [[constitutional monarchy]]. The duke, who was addressed as "Highness," wielded the executive power while sharing the [[legislation]] with the [[Estates of the realm|estates]]. The [[diet (assembly)|diet]] ([[Landtag]]) was composed of thirty-six members, of whom two were appointed by the duke, eight were representatives of landowners paying the highest taxes, two of the highest assessed members of the commercial and manufacturing classes, fourteen of the other electors of the towns and ten of the rural districts. The representatives were chosen for six years by indirect vote and must have completed their twenty-fifth year. The duke governed through a [[minister of state]], who was the [[praeses]] of all the departments—finance, home affairs, education, public worship and statistics.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=45}}